This invention relates to marine vehicles and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with gas-cushion vehicles for operating over water.
Such a gas-cushion vehicle, is, in operation, supported above the surface of water, at least in part, by a cushion of pressurized gas, for example air, formed and contained between the vehicle body and the water surface.
The present invention is applicable to "sidewall" gas-cushion vehicles. That is to say, to gas-cushion vehicles, wherein, in operation, the sides of each of their vehicle-supporting cushions are contained by a pair of laterally-spaced "side" wall structures extending longitudinally along the sides of the vehicle body in substantially parallel array and depending therefrom so as to dip into the water and form a cushion-gas seal.
However, the invention may also be applied to other types of gas-cushion vehicles, for example, as described and claimed in British Pat. No. 1,184,062, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,608 (Tattersall).
The present invention is concerned with improving the "ride" of marine vehicles.